Belt-tightener.



No. 657,30l.

G. E. TRAVIS.

BELT TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Ian. 8, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

n4: Nonm's Pit-Ens co. mom-Luna w summon. D. c.

- Patented Sept. 4, 1900. G. E. TRAVIS.

BELT TIGHTENE R.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1900.!

2 Sheets-Shad 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

GEORGE E. TRAVIS, OF HENRY, ILLINOIS.

BELT-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,301, datedSeptember 4, 1900. Application filed January 3, 1900. Serial No. 753.(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concernfi Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TRAvIs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Henry, in the county ofMarshall and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Belt-Tighteners, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to belt-tighteners for traction-engines, and hasfor one object to provide improved and simple means for tightening thebelt of a thresher-traction, while the engine is at work and maintainingthe belt taut.

It also has for its object to providea safety device that willeffectually operate to prevent breakage or damage should thebelt-tightening mechanism be accidentally thrown into operation whilethe engine is being propelled as a traction-engine.

It has for a further object to provide a friction-clutch attachmentoperating in such manner that the clutch-lever holds the clutch out ofoperation while the belt-tightener is in gear. y

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the engine connected to athreshing-machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, on an enlargedscale, of the means for throwing the parts into and out of operation.Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through the frame,.

idler-wheel, and ratchet. Fig. 4isadetailperspective view of the frameand the pawl and dog operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view.

in elevation of the latch-lever and link mechanism, and Fig.- dis a planview of the clutchoperating hook. A

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a traction-engine ofany suitable construction, 2 a drive-Wheel driven by the engine, and 3 adrive-belt for transmitting power from the engine to thethreshing-machine. The drive-wheel 2 may consist of a frictionclutch-wheel of any of the well-known types employed for the purpose andadapted to be thrown into and out of operation by a axle of theground-wheels 6.

clutch-lever 4 to engage and disengage the engine-shaft 5 with and fromthe train of gearing leading to the ground-wheels 6. Said train ofgearing is shown as consisting of the idler gear-wheel 7, which mesheswith and transfers the movement of the engine-shaft to a gear-wheel 8.The gear-wheel 8 rotates a smaller gear-wheel 9,.which in turn gearswith and rotates a gear-wheel 10, fixed on the Fixed concentrically onthe gear-wheel 7 is an annular casing 11, which is preferably bolted tosaid gear-wheel and is provided with two circumferential grooves 12 and13, in the former of which is seated a ratchet-wheel l4 and in thelatter one'end of a frame 15, the other end of which is fixed to theengineframe or any suitable fixed support. One or more break-pins 16pass transversely through the casing 11 and ratchet-wheel 14,.so thatthe latter normally rotates with the gearwheel 7 for the purposehereinafter explained. Fulcrumed on a pivot 17 on the frame 15 is ahand-lever 18, carrying a gravity-pawl l9, pivoted to said lever nearits fulcrum and normally swinging by gravity into engagement with theratchet-wheel 14. A gravitydog is pivotally mounted on the pivot-pin 17and operates to engage the ratchet-wheel 14 and hold the latter againstbackward movement. an upward extension 21, by means of which the dog maybe thrown out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 14 in the mannerhereinafter explained, and when the dog is so thrown out of engagementitstrikes the pawl 19 and throws it also out of engagement with saidratchet-wheel.

If the'driving-belt 3 becomes loose, it is only necessary to depress thefree end of the handto give the proper tension to the belt, and

after this has been accomplished the lockingdog 20 will hold the" enginestationary and the belt taut.

The locking-dog 20 isprovided with,

I lever 25, to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 26,.theother end of which is in like manner connected to the" end of the arm22" As shown, the pivotal connection 27 between the link and trip-leveris such that when the latter is swung toward the rear of the engine thepivotal point 27 will bein alinementwith the fulcrum of the trip-leverand the latter and the link will be held against movement, and the sameis true when thetrip-lever is swung in the opposite direction.trip-lever is swung toward the front of the engine, the link 26 is movedforward andos-. cillates the arm 22 in the same direction,

thereby causing the lug 23 to bear against the extension 21 of thelocking-dog and mov' ing said. dog and pawl out of alinement with theratchet-wheel 14:. When the trip-lever is swung in the oppositedirection, the arm 22 is drawn outof engagement with the lock.- ing-dogand the latter and the pawl drop by gravity into engagement with the.ratchetwheel. The trip-lever and link are held in their adjustedpositions in the followingmanner: Formed on the tail of the trip-leveris a laterally-projecting lug. 28, which. when thesaid. trip -'lever isin the position shown in Fig. 1 engages the under side of thelink 26 andis caused to press thereag'ainst by a coiled spring29, one end ofwhichis attached to the said link and the other end to the frame 1.5 orother suitable fixture, said spring. operating to draw the linkdownward. Formed on the handle end of the trip-leveris-a cone 2 spondinglug 30, which in. like. mannerbears against the uppenside of the leverwhen the trip-lever is swung for-ward to throw the dog and pawl out ofengagement. The. parts arethus positively locked-when in either of theadjusted-positions. i

If. the well-known friction-clutch bev em.- ployed, as before described,for throwing the: engine shaft into gear with thetrain of gearing forpropelling the engine, I provide a safety attachment that operatestohold. the clutch-controlling lever in such manner that the clutch cannotbe put ingear while the dog and pawl are in engagement withv the.

' ratchet-wheel. The safety attachment is constructed as follows: I Thenumeral 31 indicates a hook that engages the controlling-lever of thefrictionclutch, the shank. of said hook being 'provided with alongitudinal slot 32. Fitted in the slot 32. isa'bolt 33, that extendsthrough, and on. its end is fitted a corrugated. washer 33, that engagescorresponding corrugations When the formed on the-shank of the hook;Said washer is held in placeby a nut 33. these means the length 'of'the"hook may be altered. The arrangement is such that when [thelink' 26 isdrawn rearward by the triplever to throw the dog and pawl intoongagement witlLthe ratchet-wheel the pin 33 draws the hook 31 towardtherear of the engine, thereby drawing the clutch-controlling =lever 4 inthe same direction and throwing .the clutch out of operation. The clutchwill be positively held out of operation as long as the dog and pawl arein engagementwith the ratchet-wheel. When, however, the link 26 isthrust forward by the trip-lever to throw :the dog and pawl out ofengagement, -the pin 3 33 rides forward in the slot 32 of thesafetyhook, thereby releasing the latter, after which I thecontrolling-lever can be operated at will to propel the engine. w Whilethe engine is being moved over the road should the pawl and dog heaccidentally thrown into engagement withthe ratchet [wheel or should anabnormal strainibe suddenly thrown onto the ratchet wheel the break-pin16,. beforereferred to, will break, thereby preventing damage to thegearing, as

i then free to rotate independently. The-break 'pins maybe readilyreplaced when broken.

, If preferred, the ratchet-wheel 14 may be to engage directly with thecog-teeth of the gear-wheel 7. V

a ,By means of the dog and pawl described @thebelt canbe put. onthedrive-whe'eLan-d g tightened at ease. The beltcanbe positivelyti'ghtened to any desired: tensionlittle by l little and at will andwill be held inits gtightened condition, thereby holding. the on g ginestationary without the use of blocks for checking the wheels and holdingthe engine steady without vibration.

The improvements he-rein. shown and do scribedv maybe placed on. theengine when %the latter is built in the factory or maybe placed :on.engines-built.- and in use; 7' Having described my invention, what Iclaim is l. 1. In a belt-tightener of. the; character described, thecombination with the tractionidler geanwheels, the pawl and dog.engaging aa ratchet-wheel fixed on said idler-wheel, the i link and.arm. for throwing said pawl and dog actuating said link and holding itlocked ,against accidental movement, substantially jas described. V V

2.; Ina belt-tightener of the'class described, the'com-bination with thetraction-engine and 1 its trainof driving-gearing, of theidler gear.-wheel, the pawl and dog engaging a ratchetwheel fixed. onsaididler-wheel, an oscillating arm for throwing the pawl and dog intoand the ratchet-wheel 14 and gear-wheel 7 are E dispensedwith and thedog and pawl caused.

; engine and its train otdriving-gearing, of the {into and out of gear,and. the trip-lever for .out-of. engagement,, a link connected'tosaidarm, atrip-lever pivoted'intermediateits ends IIO to a fixed support andpivoted on one side of its fulcrum to said link, said trip-lever beingprovided at its opposite ends with lugs arranged to respectively engagethe upper and under side of the link, and a coiled spring operating todraw the link down, substantially as described. a

3. In a belt-t-ightener, of the character described, the combinationwith the tractionengine, its train of driving-gearing and afriction-clutch on the engine-shaft for throwing said gearing into andout of gear, of the-idler gear-wheel, the pawl and dog. engaging aratchet-Wheel fixed on said idler-wheel, the link and arm for throwingsaid pawl and dog into and out of engagement, the trip-lever foractuating said link and holding it locked against accidentaldisplacement, a pin on the link, anda safety-hook engaging thecontrolling-lever of the friction-clutch and having a slotted shankengaged by said pin, substantially as described.

4. In a belt-tightener of the character de scribed, the combination withthe tractionengine and its train of driving-gearing, of the idlergear-wheel, the ratchet-wheel, a break- 'pin connecting said ratchet andgear wheel

